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Anomalous Spectral Types and Intrinsic Colors of Young Stars
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 January 2016
Abstract
We highlight differences in spectral types and intrinsic colors observed in pre-main sequence (pre-MS) stars. Spectral types of pre-MS stars are wavelength-dependent, with near-infrared spectra being 3-5 spectral sub-classes later than the spectral types determined from optical spectra. In addition, the intrinsic colors of young stars differ from that of main-sequence stars at a given spectral type. We caution observers to adopt optical spectral types over near-infrared types, since Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram positions derived from optical spectral types provide consistency between dynamical masses and theoretical evolutionary tracks. We also urge observers to deredden pre-MS stars with tabulations of intrinsic colors specifically constructed for young stars, since their unreddened colors differ from that of main sequence dwarfs. Otherwise, V-band extinctions as much as ~0.6 mag erroneously higher than the true extinction may result, which would introduce systematic errors in the H-R diagram positions and thus bias the inferred ages.
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- Type
- Contributed Papers
- Information
- Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 10 , Issue S314: Young Stars & Planets Near the Sun , November 2015 , pp. 85 - 90
- Copyright
- Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2016
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